The Legend of Zelda: The Threat to Hyrule
by FreezerBurnXL
Summary: COMPLETE! The first of a trilogy. It has been three years since the events of Ocarina of Time. Now, evil is spreading once more, but it is too dangerous this time for Link to go through it alone. That's why he now has an entire team.
1. Link

**Short Notice**

This story takes place after Ocarina of Time, but the events of Majora's Mask never occurred. Also, Link never met Navi and everyone still thinks Link is a Kokiri. They never found out who he really is. A couple of characters are technically not supposed to appear until hundreds of years later, but I wanted them in the story for reasons of future stories. You'll all find out eventually. Hm… What else? This is the first of a little trilogy… Uh… Oh, and I don't own characters, places, and all that jazz.

The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the sky was cloudless. It was a peaceful spring morning as Link, a young Kokiri boy, opens his eyes after a good night's sleep. Link is a simple Kokiri, nobody special. He has blonde hair, light skin, blue eyes, pointy ears, and like all the other Kokiris, wears a green tunic. He is not the most popular Kokiri, but he still lives a peaceful life in the Kokiri Forest.

Kokiris live in the Kokiri Forest. They are rather unusual folk. One reason is that each one is born with their very own fairy guardian. These little guys follow them everywhere they go protecting them from any danger. Also, Kokiris never grow up. Once they're born and become a kid, they never go into adulthood. No matter how many years pass, they still remain in their childhood.

However, Link was born without a guardian fairy. Nobody really has a clue why. He just doesn't. Though almost everyone else in Kokiri Forest treats him equally, his lacking of a fairy makes him uneasy. He even sometimes feels like he doesn't belong in Kokiri Forest. But, oh well. Let's get on with the story.

He walked out of his house and climbed down the ladder. At the bottom, he was greeted by Mido. Mido is a Kokiri boy and the toughest one. He has a freckled face and red hair. Mido is the big bully in the Kokiri Forest. He is mean to every one, especially Link, since he was born without a fairy.

" Hey there, No-Fairy," said Mido (he teases Link's lacking of a fairy). " Thought you'd like to know that I'm going to impress Saria, today. Today, she is going to like me more than you." Saria is a Kokiri girl. She has black hair, a friendly smile, and is very popular. Especially with Mido and Link. Both Mido and Link have a slight crush on Saria. Since they are constantly trying to impress her, there is always a bit of a conflict.

" How shall I impress her this time," said Link.

" That you won't be doing. See that apple, at the top of that tree?" said Mido, pointing to the highest tree in the forest. " I'm going to climb that tree to the top branch and fetch her the only apple on the tree."

" That's easy. I've got my…" Link paused. Mido was grinning. " … Wait a minute. Why are you smiling?"

" I know what you were going to say," said Mido, still grinning. " You were going say that it is easy because you have this. Well here's a little correction… you _had_ this." He took a strange looking item out of his pocket. It had an armor-like backside, similar to the elbow pads you used when you roller blade. On the middle section, a chain was wrapped around it. Finally, it had an arrowhead on the front. This was called the Hookshot. When one uses it, they can shoot the arrowhead into something and the chain will immediately pull them towards it.

Link received this item when he was saving Hyrule from an evil force. Oh… I didn't tell you about Hyrule, did I? Hyrule is the kingdom in which the Kokiri Forest lies. It is also home to many other lands. But lets get on with the story.

" How did you get that?" said Link.

" Found it in your house when you were asleep," said Mido. " Thought it might come in handy, so I took it."

" Mido, give me that!" said Link.

" No, thank you," said Mido. " I think I'll use it. You've used it before, but this time you'll have to try to climb the tree on your own. See you at the top. Oh, I forgot… you won't make it that far!" Mido turned and ran for the tree. Immediately, he began to zoom from branch to branch.

So the race was on. Link hurriedly began to climb from branch to branch. Naturally, this took forever. Link was in panic. He wanted to please Saria. He wanted her to like him as much as he likes her. But he did not have his Hookshot, so it was a very small chance that he would beet Mido to the top. He could not see Mido anywhere. Link guessed he was on the other side of the tree. Just as he was close to the top, up popped Mido, and he plucked the apple from the top branch.

" What did I say?" said Mido. " Now Saria won't have any other choice but to like me." Link could do nothing but stare at him with rage building up inside him.

" Give me my Hookshot, now," said Link.

" Look what we have here. A large, heavy branch," said Mido, picking up a small, thick branch. " I guess I'll just have to throw it at No-Fairy." Mido looked back to Link and, with all his might, threw the branch at him. It hit Link in the head and he was knocked out. He fell and down he went, shooting towards the ground (still unconscious).

Saria just happened to be walking by. She looked up and saw Link falling to the ground, along with Mido climbing down the branches of the tree. Saria panicked and ran under Link to catch him. Before she could think think about the situation, Link fell into her arms and she fell to the ground. Link was now lying on the ground, so Saria picked him up slightly and rested his head in her lap.

" Mido! What happened! Why is Link unconscious?" asked Saria. She was very concerned.

" Well, we were both trying to get you that apple. I got it, of course. I found a branch and threw it at him to teach him a lesson he wouldn't forget," said Mido.

" Mido, why do you have to be such a bully? Link didn't do anything wrong!" said Saria. She looked at Link's head rested in her lap, then back to Mido. " First you steal from him and then you try to kill him?"

" Steal from him!" said Mido. " I didn't steal anything from Link!"

" Don't give me that!" said Saria. " I saw you walk out of Link's

house this morning with his Hookshot."

" Now, Saria, listen," said Mido.

" No!" said Saria. " I'm taking Link to my house to take care of him even if I have to do it with my bare hands! And don't be surprised if I never speak to you again!"

" Owww… my head," Link said, just coming back to his senses. He was lying in a bed. Then he realized he was not in his own house. " Woah! What happened? Where am I?"

" Finally you're awake," Saria said. " Calm down! You're in my house. I guess Mido hit you pretty badly. You've been asleep for at least 3 hours."

" 3 hours? Man…" Link said, still in pain. " Well, Mido got the apple for you. Where is it?"

" Over there," Saria said, pointing to the lit fireplace. There was an apple burning, falling apart in it along with a wooden box.

" Wait…" Link said. " So, you don't like him?"

" No," she said, giggling slightly.

" What's that burning with it?" Link said.

" A package," Saria said. " Mido sent it. I received it this morning. I always save everything Mido gives me each day and burn it in the fireplace at night."

" Hmmm…" Link said. This made him feel a little better.

" Speaking of mail," Saria said. " I got your letter in my mail box." She handed him an envelope. Link ripped open the envelope and began to read the letter inside it. This is what it said.

Young Hero of Time,

I thank you for your service to the royal family in the past. However, I am afraid the great forces of evil are beginning to grow. I must ask you to report to Hyrule Castle immediately. I will give you the details once you arrive. I hope to see you soon.

Yours truly,

Zelda

" I must go," Link said. " The princess has summoned me."

"You can't go now!" Saria said. " You must first get your strength back!"

" But she asked me to come immediately!" Link said. She sighed.

" Well, at least wait until morning," Saria said. " Now wait here. I'm going to go to get more firewood." She walked out the door.

" Women…" Link sighed.


	2. The Team

The next morning, Link and Saria were standing on the bridge that leads to Hyrule Field. Hyrule Field is a large open field that leads to every city in Hyrule. Some call it the link to all realms.

" You have everything, right?" Saria asked.

" Yup," Link responded.

" There's no telling what's going on," she said. " I don't know what the princess wants of you, but just be careful."

" I will," Link said.

" And don't do anything stupid!" she said.

" I won't," Link said, turning slightly red.

With that, Link left Kokiri Forest. He walked onto a small path between two low cliffs. He followed the path until he came to a green open field, Hyrule Field. It was a bright, sunny morning as Link raced across the field. All of the sudden, he came to a stone wall surrounded by a moat. There was an armored man on top of the wall on the look out.

" It is the Hero of Time!" he shouted. " Lower the draw bridge!"

The gate in the front lowered to form a bridge across the moat. Link crossed into the Market Place. It is a highly populated city bustling with excitement. People were talking, laughing, and running here and there. Link saw a path leading to some hills and a large castle behind those hills. Link knew this was the way to Hyrule Castle.

Link followed the path until he came to a large gate with a guard next to it. The last time he was here, he had to sneak past the guards. Link crouched in the bushes and crept slowly along. However, the guard spotted him.

" You there!" he shouted. " You will go no further! Come out!" Link got back to his feet and walked out of the shadows.

" Good gracious," he said. " It's you! One moment." He took out a horn and blew it. It's echo filled the air. Then, he opened the gate.

" I have informed the others that you have arrived," he said. " They should let you go through without any trouble." Link went through the gate and began to walk down the path. He walked past a guard.

" Awe, good day!" he said with a friendly smile. " This is going to be easy," Link thought. Then he reached the castle, which was surrounded by a moat. Then, Link remembered something… the princess did not tell him where to meet her. However, Link knew where she'd want him to meet her in that case… the courtyard. Link followed the moat to a small hole in the castle wall where water was flowing out. He jumped to the platform where the hole was and crawled through.

He came out into a small, pleasant area with flowers, and hedges. Links continued to walk past the guards. Eventually, he came to an open area. It was filled with trees and flowers. This was the courtyard. Standing on the opposite side of the courtyard was a girl his own age. She wore a dress of pink and purple and white gloves. She had blonde hair as well. Link walked over to her.

" Zelda!" he called. " I have come. What is going on?" She looked at him.

" Oh, thank you for coming!" she said. " Now, anyway. Like I wrote in your letter, I sense that evil is growing. It started about two years after you saved us last time. I had a dream. I was looking out of a window in a high tower. Storm clouds were drawing near. Soon there was wind, thunder, and lightning. All of the sudden, I saw far, far away a huge lightning bolt hit the earth and there was a large, black explosion. The wind picked up and I saw two large, glowing eyes from where the explosion was. I'm not sure what this cause of the spreading evil is, but it's far from here."

" Okay…" Link said.

" I want you to go and destroy this cause before this entire world is filled with pure darkness," she said.

" Okay!" Link said. " I'm on my way."

" Wait!" Zelda said. " It's too dangerous to go alone."

" So what are we going to do?" Link asked.

" I have summoned others here," Zelda said. " They will join you on your quest as your team. They are the following. First, Tingle. Tingle, please come here!" Just then, a short, funny looking man approached. He had a large, red nose and a strange green outfit with a belt. He walked over to Link and Zelda.

" Mr. Fairy! Tingle is back!" Tingle said.

" Next…" Zelda continued. " I have brought Darunia. Darunia, come now." A large, strong (yet round) man with long arms walked into the courtyard. He had messy white hair and black eyes. He was the leader of the gorons, Darunia.

" Link, my brother! How have you been?" he said as he walked towards them.

" Next…" Zelda said. " I have called for Mido."

" Mido?" Link asked, very confused. " He's a Kokiri, too."

" Oh… well… hmm…" she paused for a moment. " Only one person from each tribe should have been brought forth. It was one of my servants who brought me the list of those worthy and I told him specifically not to get two from a tribe. Oh, well. Might just be an error in his system."

" Ah, who cares," Mido said, shrugging his shoulders. " Might be a good way for me to impress Saria."

" Saria?" Zelda asked.

" Long story," Link replied, still in a bad mood knowing he was joining with Mido.

" Anyway…" Zelda said. " I have brought Ruto, princess of the Zoras."

" What?" Link said " You brought Ruto?"

" Of course," Zelda said. Before he knew it, Princess Ruto was standing close by Link. Ruto was blue with long fins on her arms and legs.

" Hello, Link," Ruto said. " You haven't forgotten about us, have you?"

" What are you talking about?" Link asked, hoping no one would notice his embarassment.

" You silly," she said. " We're engaged. Remember? The Zora's Saphire?"

" I try not to," Link said. " It was an accident. All I wanted was the Spiritual Stone, not an engagement! Besides, we're only fifteen."

" Ummm…" Zelda said, very confused. " Right. Anyway, I had to go into the future to find these last two. The first one is a descendent of the Kokiris. He is a Korok named Makar." A little guy walked into the area and joined the group. He had small arms and legs. His body was similar to a turnip. He wore a mask, which is a leaf with holes cut in it to make a face. Also, he held a green instrument, similar to a violin.

" Hello, everyone," Makar said.

" Oh, great," Mido said in a rude tone. " These guys are going to be our descendents?"

" What's that supposed to mean?" Makar said, sounding very angry.

" Oh… nothing," Mido said.

" And last…" Zelda continued. " A descendent of the Zoras. She is a Rito named Medli." A girl of the same age joined them. She had long brown hair, her nose was similar to the beak of a bird, and she had round, friendly eyes with a friendly smile. She wore a dark blue dress with a red cloth, which had a slightly familiar symbol on it. She also had a white cloth around her neck. She looked at everybody, still with a friendly smile. She looked at Link and blushed slightly.

" Oh," she said. " Hello."

" Hi," Link said, slightly confused at her strange behavior. " Nice to meet you."

" Yes," she said. " You, too."

" Now," Zelda said. " You have all met. Remember. Link is the leader of this group. If he makes a decision, you do not argue! Your first destination is the Death Mountain Cavern. Once you reach the other side of the mountain, continue going east. Now go, and good luck." With that, the team left. Soon, they were standing in Hyrule Field, looking at Death Mountain. Knowing where they must go, they set off for Death Mountain Cavern.


	3. Medli

The team was walking through a forest on their way to Death Mountain Cavern later that day. Link looked around at every one. Mido was talking with Darunia, Makar was sitting on Mido's head, Ruto was talking to Tingle, trying to get him to bother somebody else, and Medli was walking by herself. She looked at Link, then walked up beside him.

" Sooo…" she said. " You're the Hero of Time?"

" Yeah," Link said, trying not to boast.

" Hmmm…" she said.

" What was up back at the castle?" Link asked. " You acted as if you were embarrassed, or something."

" Oh…" she said. " Nothing…"

" Not that I mind," Link said. " I was just wondering."

" Oh," she said, going pink. There was a pause.

" What is your tribe like?" Link asked. " In the future."

" Oh," Medli said, as though surprised by the question. " Well, it's called the Rito tribe, which is on Dragon Roost Island. We worship the great Valoo, the spirit of the skies. In the matter of fact, I'm training to be an attendant of Valoo. When a Rito comes of age, they go to see Valoo, who gives them a single scale. The Rito would then earn their wings."

" Uh…" Link said, confused. " Wings?"

" Yes, " she said. " Us Rito have evolved wings. Our very way of life is in the sky. We have the best postal system you can imagine. That's what we mainly use our wings for."

" Do you enjoy it there?" Link asked.

" Well, there's a problem," she answered. " You see, the great Valoo has been very angry. Nobody really knows why. The cheiftain's son, Prince Komali is old enough to earn his wings. However, because of Valoo's anger, Komali is afraid to get his wings. He spends hours in his room just holding his special treasure, Din's Pearl."

" Hmmm," Link said.

" Actually, I think I'm the one at fault fore his bad manner," Medli continued. " Before me, Komali's grandmother was Valoo's attendant. She was great. She understood Valoo by not only his language, but his feelings. I know and Komali knows she would be able to calm him down. However, because of his grandmother's death, he does not have faith that we can help. He believes nobody but his grandmother would be able to calm the great Valoo. I wish Komali would only trust me as Valoo's attendant like he trusted his grandmother. It is also my duty to look after Komali. I fear he may think I replaced his grandmother. That is why I think it is my fault he has had little faith."

" Don't be so hard on yourself," Link said. " It can't be you who's at fault. And who knows? Maybe someone who can calm down Valoo will turn up and try. I know I would." She didn't say anything, but smiled at him.

" I highly doubt that…" she said. " … but thanks."

" So do you always talk to other girls behind my back?" a voice said. It was Ruto. " We're engaged remember!"

" Ruto!" Link said, very annoyed.

" No, it's alright," Medli said, starting to walk away. " I'll just go." Link grabbed her arm before she could leave.

" No! Ruto, listen!" Link said. " For the thousandth time, we are not engaged! I can talk to Medli if I want to! We're only friends. If you want an engagement at age fifteen, you should go engage somebody who wants to be!" Filled with rage, Ruto stomped off. Link looked back to Medli and noticed she was looking at a small necklace in her hand. Attached to the necklace was a small pendant. The pendant was a golden heart with silver wings.

" What's that?" Link said.

" Oh this?" Medli asked. " My mother gave me this. It's a Hope Pendant. There's a legend about these. It says that you give one half of it to someone who is special to you, like a close friend, that lives far off. You keep the other half for yourself. If you do, no matter how long you wait to see each other again, both of you will always remember each other. See? There are two halves." Link watched as she separated the pieces with relative ease.

" What's your mother like?" Link asked.

" She died when I was 5 years old," she said, in a sort of depressed tone of voice. " My father died the year after that."

" Oh," Link said, feeling very guilty for asking. " I'm sorry."

" That's alright," she said. " The chieftain has given me a small home for myself, but I'm having a bit of trouble with the payment. I am on a tight budget because I don't get full payment since I am not a true attendant." Link felt so bad. He could just imagine how hard her life must've been right now. He reached into his Rupee (currency in Hyrule) Bag and took out a Red Rupee (a red gem), which was worth 20 Rupees.

" Here," he said. " This should help with your payments." He handed Medli the Rupee.

" I can't take this," she said.

" I insist," Link said. She smiled at him.

" Thank you," Medli said.

" Behold…" Darunia said, rather suddenly. " … Death Mountain Cavern!"

" Great! Let's go!" Mido said.

" Wait just a minute, fine fellow," Darunia said. " We are weary from walking already. We shall camp here and enter tomorrow morning, if it's alright with Link."

" That's fine," Link said. With that, they began to set camp.


	4. Death Mountain Cavern

The next morning, when they were finished packing, they entered Death Mountain Cavern. It looked like a simple cave. It had very large tunnels and it was lit by torches on the walls.

" Is it just me or is it getting warm in here?" Makar asked.

" We're in inside a mountain range with an active volcano," Darunia said. " What did you expect?"

Endless caves were what they were walking through. Just as they got their hopes up that there would be daylight around the next corner, they simply saw the more dark caves.

" What was that?" Ruto suddenly said, sounding very nervous.

" What was what?" Mido said.

" I heard a noise!" Ruto said.

" Could be magma far below the surface," Darunia said.

" No!" Ruto said, still sounding nervous. " It was moving in the walls!"

" Maybe it's just mice," Medli said.

" I don't need help from you, sister!" Ruto said. Apparently, she was still mad at Medli for her long conversation with Link the previous day (oh please).

" It's nothing!" Mido said. " Let's keep moving." They continued walking. Ruto looked around and then followed.

Link was talking to Medli. They then started playing Rock, Paper, Scissors.

" Scissors beats paper," Medli said.

" Let's go again," Link said. Link had scissors and Medli had rock.

" One more round," Link said. Link had rock while Medli had paper.

" Dang you're good!" Link said.

" There it is again!" Ruto said, still nervous.

" Ruto, there's nothing there!" Link said.

" It's following us!" she said.

" C'mon," Link said and they continued walking. Moments later, they came to a fork in the road. The path split into two caves.

" Let's go this way," Darunia said. They turned into the right tunnel.

" What's up with her?" Makar whispered to Link. He was now sitting on Link's head.

" She thinks we're being followed," Link answered.

" Guys I think we should go the other way," Ruto said, getting more nervous. " My instinct tells me that thing wants us to go this way."

" Considering you let a giant fish eat you so you could figure out what was wrong with it on your own, your instinct hasn't exactly helped you much in the last three years," Link said.

" Just for the record, that was a noble deed right there and I think I deserve some credit for it!" Ruto said.

" Oh, please! Both you and I know that I had to save your butt just so you could survive!" Link said. " … And I'm starting to regret it…"

" Hey! … Well, he's not just some _giant fish_!" Ruto said. " He's the great Jabun, guardian of the Zora City! Sheesh! I can't believe I agreed to marry you!"

" We never agreed on anything like that!" Link said.

" Stop fighting, please!" Makar said. " Ruto, quit worrying! We'll be fine! Link, cool it! It's not a big deal!" They continued walking.

" She'll get over it," Darunia said to Medli. " Many sounds can be heard in this cavern."

" I really think we should go the other way," she said, now worried and very nervous. Link turned scarlet. Medli could tell just how annoyed he was now.

" Relax," she said, putting her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. Link took a deep breath and nodded at her. They walked further and further. Then, Ruto noticed a large crack in the wall. Just out of curiosity, she walked up to it and peeked through. She saw nothing but pitch darkness. All of the sudden, she saw two yellow eyes turn to look at her then turned and passed by. Ruto gasped. She ran to Link and kneeled in front of him and clasped her hands together in a begging position.

" Please, Link! I want to go the other way! I just know we're headed into a trap!" Ruto said. She was now so worried and afraid she had tears in her eyes.

" Ruto! Settle down!" Link said.

" Why has the princess gone mad?" Tingle asked.

" Shut up, you little midget! I'm not crazy!" Ruto said.

" Ruto! Get up! We'll be fine!" Link said. On they walked. Finally, they came to a large chamber with a pool of lava around the floor. They entered onto a platform on the wall.

" Well, I guess it's a dead end." Darunia said. They turned and started to walk.

" Wait!" Ruto said. " I have a feeling this is where that thing lead us. If we don't get rid of it it's just going to keep following us."

" There's nothing here!" Link said, now really annoyed. As they walked back down the hall, Link looked back. Ruto was still in the chamber, looking all around her. So, they walked on. All of the sudden, they heard Ruto scream loudly.

" She's probably just doing it for attention," Mido said. " Just ignore it." They heard her scream again. Link rolled his eyes and turned around. He saw Ruto with her hands covering her mouth. Behind her was what looked like the body of a giant snake with forelegs like a bird's. Link looked at the reddish-orange body and realized what it was.

" You've got to be kidding me," he said to himself. He turned to face the still walking group. " Medli! Follow me!" Medli followed Link to the chamber where Ruto was. When they arrived, they saw what Ruto was screaming about. She was looking at the large dragon known as Volvagia. This fiery beast is similar to a sake with a bird's claws. On it's head it wore a stone mask and behind it was a fiery mane. It belched a blast of fire right at Ruto. Link got in front of her just in time and deflected the fire with his shield.

" Ruto! Medli! Get out of here!" he said. But just as they turned to leave, Volvagia rammed its head into the wall, causing boulders to fall and block the exit. Then, Link saw another exit high above them on the opposite wall of the chamber. He remembered what Medli said about being able to fly. He had an idea.

" Medli! Can you take Ruto to that opening up there?" he said.

" Yeah!" Medli said. Link's jaw dropped as he watched wings appear where Medli's arms were. She flapped them and she was floating a few feet above the ground.

" Ruto! Grab onto my legs!" Medli said.

" That's Miss Ruto to you!" Ruto said. " I am a princess you know!"

" Whatever, _Miss Ruto_! Just grab on!" Medli said. Ruto grabbed her legs and they were air borne. Link watched them as they left the chamber. He then turned his attention back to Volvagia. Time deal with this fire-breathing gloat… again!


	5. Dragons and Birds, Fire and Feathers

" Well, here we go again," Link said.

Volvagia shot a blast of fire at him. Link rolled out of the way. Link remembered how he defeated Volvagia last time (of course, that event happens two years from when this story takes place). Link got out his megaton hammer and threw it at Volvagia's head. Volvagia simply swallowed the hammer, like it were no more an attack than it were a rare hectomaloptopus.

" Link!" a voice said. Link looked in the direction of the source of the voice. It was Medli flying back into the chamber. Link's jaw dropped once more. Flying behind Medli was a flock of birds, flying in formation as if they were an elite air force rather than a flock of birds. Medli whistled an arrangement of utterly random notes and the birds spread out, surrounding and attacking Volvagia. She continued to whistle and the birds continued to attack. Volvagia spewed fire in all directions.

" Medli! Come get me! Let's get out of here!" Link said. Meli looked at Volvagia, then back to Link.

" But what about the dragon?" she asked.

" It's no use!" Link said. " We can't defeat it! It's too strong!" Medli whistled one last time and then flew down to Link. Link grabbed on to her legs and they left through the hole in the wall. Through the hole was a long, fairly narrow tunnel. After a few minutes of flying, they finally caught a glimpse of light. The tunnel was about to lead them into the outside. As they left Death Mountain Cavern and caught the first in what felt like decades whiff of fresh air, Link and Medli couldn't help but give a sigh of relief. Medli took Link to the spot where she apparently had taken Ruto during her previous trip. Also, Link and Medli saw that everyone else had exited the cavern and joined Ruto. They all greeted Link and Medli and bombarded them with questions and concerns as they came in for a landing.

" Ruto told us everything!"

" Are you two okay?"

" We were worried sick!"

" What did it look like?"

" How did you manage to survive?"

" Did it have bad breath?"

" We thought you were goners!"

" I'm hungry!"

" We're so glad you're okay!"

For the next few weeks… (Sorry, I meant) the next few minutes, life was good. They were all just glad to be out of the cave and back into fresh air.

" Excuse us for a minute," Link said and led Medli away from the group. Once out of earshot, he continued with Medli. " Look about back there… when you came back for me… with help… well… thanks."

" Don't worry about it," Medli said. " I couldn't leave you back there with that thing." (Don't this just pull at your little heartstrings?)

" You can talk to birds?" Link asked. " Why didn't you tell me?"

" Well," Medli started, " No one else in my tribe can do it. It's just a talent of mine. People always call me a freak because of it. I was worried you might think I'm a freak, too, if I told you…"

" That's not freakish," Link said. " That's cool!"

" Thanks," Medli said, laughing slightly. " What was that thing?"

" That was the terrible fire breathing dragon, Volvagia," Link replied.

" I can't believe Ruto was right," Medli said. " We were being followed."

" Yeah," Link said, as if afraid to admit that Ruto was right and he was wrong. " Well, that doesn't matter now. We're safe now."

Just then, the ground started to shake. Everyone looked around in confusion. Then, the earth felt warm under their feet. It happened so fast, Link did not know what was happening. Volvagia leaped out of the ground and let out a tremendous roar. Medli ran a ways into the trees, whistled then took for the air along with another flock of birds. However, Volvagia was very angry about their last escape. He opened his mouth wide and began to inhale. Like a giant vacuum, he gobbled up all of the birds… then Link watched Medli's panicked face as Volvagia devoured her, too!

" Medli!" Link said, too much in shock and worry to say anything else. Then, a giant boulder hit Volvagia in the head. After a couple seconds of dizziness, Volvagia looked towards the source of the attack. Darunia was on a mountainside grabbing and throwing boulders. Volvagia sprung forward. Darunia, being very heavy from bulk, was too slow to dodge the attack in time and got devoured himself.

" Hey, you!" Mido said. Foolish Mido was behind Volvagia trying to distract the fiend. Volvagia gobbled him up easily. He then turned around and swallowed Ruto whole. Makar was using a propeller of leaves to hover above Volvagia's head unnoticed, ready to drop a seed on his head (Hey, at least he's trying to help). Obviously, this just annoyed Volvagia even more. He looked up and ate Makar. Link could not believe his eyes.

Tingle was floating high above via a big red balloon. He was holding a deadly looking bomb. Volvagia shot a blast of fire at him. The flames caused the bomb to explode while it was still in Tingle's hands. Link knew then he was gone.

Link ran into the forest as fast as his legs would take him. Farther and farther he ran. He wanted to get far away from that place. He did not want to see where he landed. He did not want to see where his teammates bombarded them with their questions and concerns. Most of all, he did not want to see where he last spoke with Medli.

" Had I known that she would be gone shortly after," Link thought, " I would have said something other than what's not really true." He had been on his journey for merely a few days, and already was filling his head with painful memories.

**The End**

Well, that's the end. Keep an eye out for the second book of my trilogy. It will be entitled, _The Turn-Back Clock_.


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